A Year Ago Today...

U.S. Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps won a record 19th Olympic medal, with gold in the 4x200metres freestyle relay in London.  During the Games, Phelps became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning up to his 22nd medal.  Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time, so that every currently eligible country has sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games.  Women's boxing was included for the first time, thus the Games became the first at which every sport had female competition.

In other news of the day, I am totally jealous that my sister is motoring off to the Oregon coast today to spend a couple of nights there relaxing and enjoying a favorite destination of both hers and mine.  Alas, I cannot complain too much as I was just there over a week ago, but still I am stuck in an office and not able to be out there having fun.  Have a great time Janet.

Foodie Tuesday

Usually I post food pictures on Sunday and talk about the food.  Well, that is all fine and good unless you are being a complete slug on Sunday and do not even open the computer cabinet to do any work on the computer.  Such was the case this past Sunday.  I took a nap and sat on the balcony enjoying coffee for over an hour and just did a lot of nothing.  Thus, it is time to share a couple of pictures with you from weekend cooking.

This is the tray of ribs as they came out of the oven.  I followed Michael's recipe which I shared earlier, but sadly, my oven cooks hotter and they should not have stayed in for a full 90 minutes.  Lesson learned, but still with a dabble of BBQ sauce they were mighty tasty.

Sunday brunch is a time where I opt out of oatmeal and enjoy something completely different.  This past Sunday I took some mild Italian sausage and cooked it up.  Then I added in some eggs to do a scramble.  Once cooked and quite hot, I placed on serving dish and topped with some 4-blend shredded cheese.  Add an iced coffee and I was one happy camper.  By the way, the three onions on the right are Walla Walla Sweets and I plan on sautéing them and putting on some sausages later this week.

Tonight I was going to be cooking up a dish of chicken breasts, but not going to happen as they have not thawed enough to cook proper.  Not quite sure how they will be prepared, but may keep them simple and then use several nights and finish off as I get to them.  So now have to decide what will be for dinner?  But one thing is for sure this evening, I am having cottage cheese topped with local blueberries.  Yes, a nice summertime dessert treat.

Let The Games Begin

It was on this day that the 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, opened.  It was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984. When Tehran, the only other interested city on the international level, declined to bid due to the concurrent Iranian political and social changes the IOC awarded Los Angeles the Games by default. This was the second occasion Los Angeles hosted the games; it previously hosted in 1932.

In response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries including the Soviet Union, Cuba and East Germany (but not Romania) boycotted the Games. For differing reasons, Iran and Libya also boycotted.

Sea Fair Weekend

Last night the streets of Seattle lit up with floats, bands, huge balloons and thousands of people as this annual tradition kicked off the major week of Sea Fair.  It will conclude next weekend with the hydroplane races which are just plain crazy if you ask me, but hey, they did not.  I was invited to a party downtown, but passed as I just do not handle the crowds like I used to.  I stayed home and cooked some country style pork ribs and watched the craziness on TV.  Much more logical and quite comfortable.

Yes, It Is No Post Saturday V

This has become kind of a tradition now. 

Every 5 weeks I take a day off. 

But truth be told I have been posting today to get caught up.
So now last weekend's trip is up plus this week.

I hope you enjoy and catch up with you later.

Talk About Yin and Yang

It was on this day in 1990 that President Bush (senior) signed the Americans With Disabilities Act while Roseanne Barr sang that horrible rendition of the National Anthem at Reds-Padres game.  There are times when things just seem so out of whack and yet what can you do to fix them.  Not a lot.  This week has seen a lot of Yin & Yang happen and somehow it all balances out.  All I know is that I am so glad that it is the weekend.  Enjoy!

Moonsong Thursday

Today is cleaning day and Moonsong will have the place all freshened up by the time I get home.  I always like going home after he cleans.  I try and keep things picked up and not too messy, but there is still that nice freshness that comes from a good cleaning.  I am about to begin another round of getting rid of things especially now that Damon will be coming up for a three month visit, need to make some room for him.  I have found that as I have now been in the unit for over three months now, there is stuff that I just do not use.  

 

It is time to let it go and move on.  Damon was quite aware of how much I let go of in the move from the old place and was surprised to know I plan to get rid of more stuff, but really, do you need all the crap in the world.  An example is three baskets sitting in the wall unit.  I took them out for the move and put them back in when I got the unit rebuilt in the new space.  Have I even looked in them since?  Nope.

 

The weekend is currently totally unscheduled.  Likely a grocery delivery and need to carve out time to vote, as we are on a vote by mail system and have a primary to attend to.  I have opted for a cold dinner tonight of a can of the fresh packed tuna on some of the leftover green bean salad.  Simple and clean.  May cook tomorrow or wait until the weekend.  In either case, pork chops are calling.

Dinner With Helene

I had not seen Helene since I moved into the new place.  That means over three months.  So it was good to have her over and to be able to spend some time catching up.  She was down for ballet and now is living up in Vancouver, BC.  She used to live in Seattle and has made the first jump towards becoming a Canadian citizen.  We were going to go out, I decided to surprise her and grilled chicken breasts in the oven and made my green bean salad with heirloom tomatoes and feta cheese.  I use a simple balsamic vinaigrette on that and thus a pretty much carb-free dinner. 

She was quite pleased and surprised.  She had forgotten that I now had a balcony but a tad hot to spend too much time out there.  We did climb up to 88 yesterday & today and so while grilling was considered it was a tad warm out there, but thankful to have an AC in my unit as it faces west.  We got to have a nice long conversation and she was sad to have missed Damon.

Alas, no worries as I shared that while we will see each other at the end of next month in New Orleans for a week, he returns to Seattle on September 27th for what looks to be a three month visit.  It is going to be a good test for us as we continue to discuss what the future will hold.  He does not like Las Vegas, but there is work to be had there and that is important.  He wants to do some traveling and is working on getting his driver's license.  We shall see what happens.  We are planning a weekend up to Vancouver or Victoria and perhaps our paths will cross up there, but she will be down a couple of times as well.

Welcome The New Heir

It's a Boy!

Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have named their new son George Alexander Louis, a day after the infant prince had his debut to the world when his mother emerged with him in her arms from St. Mary's Hospital in London.

Buzz over what the royal couple would name their son born Monday ended Wednesday evening local time when palace officials said the royals are "delighted to announce" their son's name, and that he will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

 



Dinner At Michael's

Arriving at Michael's we were greeted with some of his Moonshine purchases on his recent road trip back east.  While Damon and Michael enjoyed the tasting, I stuck with a nice vodka tonic.  We played a game or two of Blockus to kick off the afternoon.

Michael does love his dogs and they love him and all his friends in return.  On the left is Little Miss and on the right is Hank.  I am so surprised at how Hank has mellowed over the years.  My first meeting was his escaping Michael's truck in Astoria and running all over the neighborhood and we were exhausted by the time he decided the game was over.  Ah, memories!

Damon brought in a beautiful lap quilt that my sister, Janet made.  Damon loves pigs and she had a piece of material (in the center) of pigs flying.  Well, it was the inspiration and she did an amazing job.  All the quilting on three sides is of my hand and Damon's hand connected like wings.  The fourth side she quilted "When Pigs Fly" into it.  He was stunned and so happy with it.  It was a belated birthday present he was all too happy to wait for. 

Food time and there is just something about ribs that brings out the caveman in all of us and who better to show that than Damon.  He was loving the ribs and oh boy I sure did as well.  Michael did a mixed grill of pork ribs, beef ribs and chicken brats.  A salad was added and it was amazing.  By the way, he cooked the pork ribs in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour and get this, all he used to spice them up was Lipton onion soup mix.  A recipe from his mother and they were simply amazing!

It was a meal fit for a king and yes, in the end even the dogs got to enjoy some.  Both Damon and I deferred to Michael to feed the dogs so they know who was in charge as it should be.  What a wonderful experience it was.

Late getting back to the motel and thankfully we had a fan in the room as none of the motels in Long Beach have AC and there was no wind to speak of, thus the room was a tad on the warm side.  The next morning had us enjoying a morning of play and leisure before meeting Michael for a brunch at 42nd Street Bistro.  Then it was time for good-byes and back to Seattle.  Traffic was not bad until we got to Olympia and then it got nasty, but we did get home by 2:30pm and got to have the afternoon to play and nap and be lazy.  A perfect end to a perfect weekend. 

Beach Posing And Laughter

Since we do love hugging it seems natural to pause here as we continued our tour of the northern Oregon coast yesterday.  The fact that it had facilities also made it a must stop after all the coffee.  Hug Point is a very small park located between Arch Cape and Cannon Beach.

Sadly, due to a mudslide last winter the beautiful lookout point at Ecola State Park is now closed.  Alas, we had to pick and choose from various sights around the parking area.  This one was the best and had Damon's hair under the most control as winds were ever present this overcast morning.

Then it was on to Indian Beach which is quite popular with the surfers and boy were there a lot there when we stopped and it was still before noon and so the tides were coming in and the folks were all getting ready to hit the beach.  Whereas Ecola is up on a bluff, Indian is down closer and accessible for the surfers to get to the ocean easier.

 

As you can see by noon-thirty we were at The Lost Roo and having a lot of fun.  It was a delight to see Michael and get caught up over a leisurely lunch.  I opted for the Halibut Fish and Chips while Damon went for some beef medallions and soup.  Michael decided to go with a small salad and some chicken wings.  As I knew we were going to be enjoying some wine later I held to a pint of the local brew and the boys did enjoy a couple of pints as well, though on the lighter side.  We were soon heading out and splitting up for a bit until regrouping at Michael's place later in the day.

It was a tad after 2pm and decided to see if we could check in at the Super 8 Motel. One of the few that would take a single night reservation. Well, the bitch at the front desk was exactly that.  She would not let us check in and told us to come back at 3pm.  Initially I could not figure out why and then it hit me - she would be off and not have to do any more work!  Thus, we were off to the Marsh Museum home of the "Alligator Man" which is a must see for anyone going to Long Beach - total kitch!  It also allowed for a few beach pictures.

 We did not have a firm schedule of sorts, but a nap was so needed.  After that it was up to Michael's for an afternoon of games and laughter and yes, drinking.  Yes, we have reached to be continued...

Now Departing Portland For The Beach

As often can happen when traveling in the summer, all good planning can go out the window in a heart beat.  Did not get out of office until 1:40pm and traffic was a nightmare!  A usual three hour drive ended up being over 5 hours dues to traffic and it was not pretty. 

Did not get to the hotel until after dinner as we were running so late.  Stopped at my sister's place and visited for a bit and then headed off to Tad's.  I knew I would enjoy the chicken livers to start. Sadly, after that it seems all three of us had misses on the main course.  Janet's pasta was too pasty and thick while Damon's scallops were drenched in the sauce they made that did nothing for the flavor.  I opted for the special of Razor clams and sadly they overcooked them making them like rubber, nearly impossible to cut.

Janet had dessert since she loves Marion berry cobbler and we headed for her place as the clock broached 10pm.  It was amusing in that she made mention more than once of how she usually does not eat so late, but in a way it is fun to live outside the box.  Dropped her off and then headed to the hotel and it was a tad frustrating in that we got stuck in a smoking room.  Oh well, it happens when a hotel is sold out and you arrive with only three rooms left.  Slept like a log and yet we were up bright and early as Saturday was a day of exploration.  First stop was Camp 18 for breakfast. 

This place is usually packed when I drive by on the Sunset Highway enroute to the coast, but this morning we got there just as they opened and only 7 other tables were filled.  By the time we finished it was nearly 3/4 filled and more people arriving.  We escaped just in time.

Damon was actually awake and yet not amused that there was  no internet to be found.  Heaven forbid that we actually conversed and enjoyed each other's company.  They also had these games you could play to test your IQ.

From what I was told, this shot is all about perspective getting the beverages in and then my head.  I think it is called holding the camera low on the table and shooting up and at least getting Chris when he is laughing about the fact that this is suppose to be art.

Breakfast arrived and I kid you not - this is suppose to be for one person.  Thankfully, Damon took care of the potatoes - he had never had country style potatoes before and so this was a first for him and he took half the biscuit and gravy.  On the other plate is scrambled eggs plus two sausages and two strips of bacon.  He also had eggs and breakfast meat a la carte and so we were quite satisfied by the end of the meal.

Ah, here is Damon trying his skills at the IQ game and I am still not sure why he had me take this picture with his two iphones sitting on the game.  Maybe some sort of protest to the lack of internet connection.  Be fore leaving he insisted we stop and pose with some of the chainsaw art out front. 

Damon had not been to either the Oregon or Washington coasts and so this killed two birds with one stone by making quick stops at Arch Cape (where we used to have a beach cottage) and then drove north and saw Cannon Beach (including a stop at Ecola State Park), Seaside (got some divinity for dessert to go with the blue cheese we had brought), Astoria (to get some wine for dinner) and over the bridge into Washington. We met Michael for lunch at The Lost Roo - his favorite watering hole in Long Beach.  To be continued...

On The Road South

So this morning Damon and I were up bright and early to get packed and ready to head south to The City of Roses.  The goal is to be done and done at the office by 1pm and headed south on I-5 to beat the usual Friday afternoon gridlock.  That will give us the chance to get to Portland and checked in at the hotel before driving over to pick up Janet.  We are then headed off to a favorite place called Tad's.  It has been around for years and sits right on the Sandy River and with it being so nice the big doors will be thrown open to let in the cool breeze and you can hear the sound of the water as well.  I know I will be enjoying some chicken livers this evening to start.  Main course is any one's guess.

After dinner it will be back to Janet's casa to drop her off and then will crash for the night before getting up and driving west on the Sunset Highway.  Damon has not been to either the Oregon or Washington coasts and so this will kill two birds with one stone by making quick stops at Arch Cape and then drive north and see Cannon Beach, Seaside, Astoria and over the bridge into Washington.  We will meet Michael for lunch at The Lost Roo - his favorite watering hole in Long Beach.  Afterwards, it will be time to check in at the Super 8 Motel.  One of the few that would take a single night reservation.  Below is a picture of the Marsh Museum home of the "Alligator Man" which is a must see for anyone.  We do not have a firm schedule of sorts, but will see what happens.  Back to Seattle on Monday and Damon flies back to Las Vegas on Monday next.

Meatloaf For Dinner

Last night I decided to make meatloaf for dinner.  It was a yummy dinner.  I took the recipe below and doubled it.  Thus we had enough for dinner and then made meatloaf sandwiches for lunch today and there is enough left over for tomorrow as well.  I did make one adjustment in that I used half & half instead of milk.  Should have cut it down by about a quarter cup.  Since I doubled the recipe I made two loafs and on one I used Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce and on the other I used Maker's Mark BBQ Sauce.  Each had a different flavor which made it fun.

 

To go with the meatloaf I cut up a beefsteak tomato and poured blue cheese vinaigrette on it.  Damon got to enjoy the last of the Chinese he had leftover from the other night which was mostly the shrimp fried rice and so he got his carbs in.  I got to have the last couple of spoonfuls of Bacon Pesto Pasta.  I have no clue what will be on tonight's menu as I totally spaced pulling the chicken out of the freezer.  Time to get creative or else order in something.Want to be careful as we head south to Portland tomorrow to see Janet and then off to the beach for the weekend.



 

 

 

ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 egg

1 onion, chopped

1 cup milk

1 cup dried bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3.	In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
4.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

The Happiest Place On Earth

Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. 

Walt Disney came up with the concept of Disneyland after visiting various amusement parks with his daughters in the 1930s and 1940s. He initially envisioned building a tourist attraction adjacent to his studios in Burbank to entertain fans who wished to visit; however, he soon realized that the proposed site was too small. After hiring a consultant to help determine an appropriate site for his project, Walt bought a 160-acre (65 ha) site near Anaheim in 1953. Construction began in 1954 and the park was unveiled during a special televised press event on the ABC Television Network on July 17, 1955.
Since its opening, Disneyland has undergone a number of expansions and renovations, including the addition of New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now Critter Country) in 1972, and Mickey's Toontown in 1993. Disney California Adventure Park was built on the site of Disneyland's original parking lot and opened in 2001.

Bacon Broccoli Pesto Pasta

A couple of weeks ago Damon went into the market and I asked him to gt me a bunch of basil for a salad.  He returned with a tube of basil pesto.  Well, sometimes you just have to be creative and tonight was exactly the night it happened.

So here’s what I used:
1/2 pound bacon sliced into chunks
2 cans mushrooms
A bunch of fresh broccoli (Damon loves broccoli so I added quite a bit)
Box of Penne pasta
Pesto sauce (mixed the tube of basil pesto with 1/3 cup olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what I did:
I cooked the pasta and broccoli separately.
I cut the bacon into chunks, and set it to fry. Once it was almost done, I drained most of the fat, leaving a little bit so the rest didn’t stick to the pan. I added the mushrooms and pesto sauce.
Added the broccoli to the pan mixture and warmed it up before tossing it in with the pasta.

At the last minute I decided to add Parmesan cheese and it was a perfect addition.  While enjoying it I did think that pine nuts might be nice, but at some point you just have to say - stop!

Monday Miscellaneous

Above is a serving of the "Strawberries & Cream" Damon created.  I was amazed at how nice this picture turned out.  They were quite good.  While I enjoyed a serving, Damon got to have two.

On Saturday, we went over to Moonsong's to play Catan.  On the table there was this lovely bouquet of origami birds.  A neighbor had made them and placed them all over his entry on the final Sunday of June that happened to be Gay Pride Day in Seattle.  Quite a festive touch.  The neighbor is a teenage girl he has known since she was born and over the years he has done things like leaving Easter Eggs in the yard for her and this was the first time she had done something in return.

As you can see Damon does get into Catan.  He loves this T-shirt as does just about everyone else who sees it.  Seems to bring a smile to many.  I do smile when I see it.

Yesterday we puttered at the apartment getting all sorts of little projects done.  Damon gave me this rare game of Gay Monopoly for Christmas.  It was put out in the early 80's and was quickly pulled from the market when Parker Brothers sued.  It was originally put out by the Parker Sisters and I guess they did not see the humor.  We discovered very quickly it is not a game for 2 players, but will try again in the future with more players.

Viva le Bastille

However you may celebrate this day, may it be one that is filled with fun and good times.  I am up at 5am to watch the Tour de France.  I do enjoy watching the race.  During the week I see it tape delayed in the evening, but on the weekend I get to see it live. 

Yesterday, Damon got up early and made some vanilla pudding with strawberries.  I was amused as he said, "I heard people eat clotted cream and berries while watching this and this was as close as I could get'"  I laughed and shared that was usually during Wimbledon.  But he was within the same month and continent! 

I could not help myself in posting a second picture of fireworks, you know how much I love them.  And below is a painting that I saw at the Musée d'Orsay and a favorite.  If you ever get to Paris it is truly one of my favorite places.  It is on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900.